38 replies to this topic

[Ives]

"Screw pot being taxed. Just tax the barking catholic church. They've killed far more people and barked far more boys than pot has ever done."

- Doug Stanhope

My take: Smaller churches that are making a medium income that are just doing their thing should get the tax exemption: Megachurches, on the other hand, I do believe deserves at least a minimal tax.

[Sweeney]

I don't think Churches should get any money at all.
Let's see how long they survive on the will of God alone.

[Hlaw]

im a Christian, but i dont believe it when i see some 'famous' pastors from these so called mega churches driving in bmws and wearing rolexes. those churches should be taxed.

[Akira]

I don't think that churches should be permitted to be tax free.

Think about it: They ask for donations frequently, they hold bake sales, and that's all good...however, I think that any church found to be making more than they need to keep the church intact needs to be taxed.

For example, scientologists. I mean, really...it's just a giant business. Tax 'em. And what about those religious whack jobs on TV? They essentially beg for money and guilt trip people into it.

However, it would be humbling for them if they found out that prayer doesn't work-not even for a holy church. Imagine, they start getting taxed, or all of their money gets taken away. Since God answers all prayers, an entire church and a very holy leader should be able to keep their church in GREAT condition from prayer alone.

I never got why churches got to beg for money every day that they were open, and yet never got taxed. I can't buy food without being taxed, so why do they escape tax when church is nothing more than a luxury?

Why does God need so much cash, anyway? Why does the immaterial being have churches the world over with fat wallets?

It's a big business, it ought to be taxed. Especially the big ol' Pope franchise. If he's the holiest man alive, God should be able to spot him a twenty every now and then.

[Nick]

Make religion illegal. It creates too much tension and tends to hold society back from advancing.

[Tetiel]

I don't particularly have a problem with large churches being taxed however keep in mind that the amount that they are taxed will be irrelevant with the amount the church gives to charity (if it does what it is supposed to). I do have a problem for small churches getting taxed as a lot are barely getting by.

[Alex]

Make religion illegal. It creates too much tension and tends to hold society back from advancing.

And thats relevant to a debate about taxation of churches how?

[Melchoire]

Woah back up...don't churches have to pay some sort of property or income tax?

[Hlaw]

Make religion illegal. It creates too much tension and tends to hold society back from advancing.

actually, religion causes war, which in a way helps society advance through techonology

[Sida]

actually, religion causes war, which in a way helps society advance through techonology

Technology in the wrong area.

I just get really annoyed whenever you're at a church (For a college thing or something) and everyone working there seems so eager to get the silver donation plates out. The last one I went to, all we could see were posters saying "Donate to the church, help us worship God"...and as soon as we sat down, guess what? Flyers on donating...

There was even one about them not accepting donations under £10, and that if you do donate anything over that you had to fill out a form so they got the tax from it aswel.

These days, churches are home to pedophille priests...and we're funding it.

[Oaken]

Technology in the wrong area.

I just get really annoyed whenever you're at a church (For a college thing or something) and everyone working there seems so eager to get the silver donation plates out. The last one I went to, all we could see were posters saying "Donate to the church, help us worship God"...and as soon as we sat down, guess what? Flyers on donating...

There was even one about them not accepting donations under £10, and that if you do donate anything over that you had to fill out a form so they got the tax from it aswel.

These days, churches are home to pedophille priests...and we're funding it.

and we are funding the people they send out to bug the hell out of you in the street

they only want to 'recruit' more people so they can get more donations

[Cript]

These days, churches are home to pedophille priests...and we're funding it.

It's sad how stereotypical you are. I'm not catholic and no preachers from my denomination have been accused of something like that, nor have hundreds of other donations.

The catholic church has always had scandals, that's why I'm happy to be Lutheran sometimes.

[pyke]

It's sad how stereotypical you are. I'm not catholic and no preachers from my denomination have been accused of something like that, nor have hundreds of other donations.

The catholic church has always had scandals, that's why I'm happy to be Lutheran sometimes.

Well, it's easy to stereotype the catholic church when you've got stories of father bad touch popping up. It's not like the Lutheran church doesn't suffer similar problems either, any organization/religion/group will have issues.

Anyway, most churches aren't non-profit organizations. Tax'em.

[Cript]

Well, it's easy to stereotype the catholic church when you've got stories of father bad touch popping up. It's not like the Lutheran church doesn't suffer similar problems either, any organization/religion/group will have issues.

Anyway, most churches aren't non-profit organizations. Tax'em.

I must be super biased for churches in this situation I guess. I am in a congregation of 450 people and our chuch barely gets by. I paid $3500/yr to go to private school while my parents tax money still went to the public schools that I didn't attend.

[Tetiel]

I think it's really the big churches that have the problems not donating like you and Oaken are talking about, Sida. The small town churches are the good guys. :\ We'll take whatever you give and praise God for it. Almost all the budget goes into paying bills on trying to fix the leaky roof or trying to pay the pastor's meager salary in my church. They're not all like that. At least not in America anyways. Maybe the big churches are but I've never much liked those.

[Hlaw]

if these mega churches are really believers of Christian values they should be the ones giving out funds to less fortunate/rural/small churches who arent blessed with their commercial marketing skills or whatever else they did to get that big

[Tetiel]

if these mega churches are really believers of Christian values they should be the ones giving out funds to less fortunate/rural/small churches who arent blessed with their commercial marketing skills or whatever else they did to get that big

Pretty much. Or better yet do what the smaller churches do and do spaghetti feeds to raise money to buy goats for poor villages in Africa. Churches should only be taxed if their income is much more than their donations :\ That's SUPPOSED to be the whole reason churches aren't taxed from what I understand.

[nox]

I think it's really the big churches that have the problems not donating like you and Oaken are talking about, Sida. The small town churches are the good guys. :\ We'll take whatever you give and praise God for it. Almost all the budget goes into paying bills on trying to fix the leaky roof or trying to pay the pastor's meager salary in my church. They're not all like that. At least not in America anyways. Maybe the big churches are but I've never much liked those.

if these mega churches are really believers of Christian values they should be the ones giving out funds to less fortunate/rural/small churches who arent blessed with their commercial marketing skills or whatever else they did to get that big

mm yea agreed with these psots

[Hawk]

I don't particularly have a problem with large churches being taxed however keep in mind that the amount that they are taxed will be irrelevant with the amount the church gives to charity (if it does what it is supposed to). I do have a problem for small churches getting taxed as a lot are barely getting by.

The Church I go to is barely getting by. Taxing us would literally F- us over.

Akira- Food in most states isn't taxed... and if you are from some place other than the US I don't know and sorry for assuming you were from the U.S.

[travis]

Why should they be exempt from taxation?

What happened to separation of church and state?

Are we still under rule of the Feudal System?

TAX THE barkERS.

Make religion illegal. It creates too much tension and tends to hold society back from advancing.

*amen

[Akira]

Food in Maryland and Vermont is taxed o.O And, quite frankly, the small town in Maryland that I lived in had 1000 people and 5 churches of the same denomination on main street. It was a Jesus-fest/KKK rally every Sunday. And the one time that I visited one of the churches, they were praising God for the abundance of donations from believers....which ticked me off, because they immediately wanted more money. Why praise God for the kindness of people? Can't they just once thank their followers instead of God? God sure isn't suffering, but some of these people are donating $50 a week on a $100 a week budget, and that just ain't fair to them.

If the church struggles, it should not be taxed. If the church booms, it MUST be taxed. And none of this 'let's beg for money five times in an hour' nonsense, nor should they have the gall to say that we are all sinners going to hell if we DON'T donate. That sounds fair, doesn't it? You couldn't spot a ten one week, so oops, you're damned.

And, there should be a law: Any church, regardless of status, that tries to change a law or act within the state as power (such as this bull about gay marriage being bad, and stem cell research killing the 'souls' of barking skin cells), they should get closed down immediately. I know that everyone really wants to pray loudly together, chant monotonously, piss off their bored kids, and publicly announce their faith, but as soon as they start trying to infringe on everyone else's rights, shut 'em down. Make 'em read the bible for a change, instead of going to a church that refuses to bury gay soldiers, or puts up signs saying hobbits burn in hell. If they love Jesus so bad that they need to go to church to spend money every week, then they can find one that is a little more humble.

[Cript]

It would really be interesting to see what would happen to the world if religion were illegal. You guys realize that % of income wise, middle-class, white christians donate more money to charities than any other group?

Edited by Cript, 24 September 2007 - 07:35 AM.

[Sida]

Churches should only be taxed if their income is much more than their donations :\ That's SUPPOSED to be the whole reason churches aren't taxed from what I understand.

That sounds like a fair solution actually.

In this day and age, religion is never going to be what it was, and it's getting to the point where religions are starting to become businesses with millions of customers.
In my opinion, they use the fact that our law respects people's beliefs to their advantage.

[DudeOnline]

if church and state is supposed to be seperate then yes. make churches taxable

[Akira]

It would really be interesting to see what would happen to the world if religion were illegal. You guys realize that % of income wise, middle-class, white christians donate more money to charities than any other group?

Technically, that's because there's a ton of Christians, at least in America...I think it's something like 70% of America is Christian o.O Of course that statement would be true; if 31% of the Christian population donated, it would be more than the 30%...

Besides, what would that say for the supposed Christians? It's not like all of the Christians would be shot once religion was illegal o.O They would still exist, and just how good would a Christian look if they stopped donating just because they could no longer publicly convert and pray? If confined to their own homes for prayer, would they suddenly think that it didn't matter? If they are donating just to look good to the rest of the world, then what does that say about them as people?

I don't think it should be banned...I think that they should be allowed to preach it only on church premises; no more of this standing on the streets to convert people. Furthermore, only when they grow too wealthy should they be taxed. A poor church should not be taxed, while a rich asshole Jerry Falwell type of church should be taxed to death >.> Man I hated that fatass...